


a new beginning

by icemakestars



Category: Fruits Basket
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cutesy, F/F, First Dates, Fluff and Angst, Mostly Fluff, Starting Over
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 22:54:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19733329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icemakestars/pseuds/icemakestars
Summary: Tohru's parting gift to Saki was not what she expected, but maybe exactly what she needed.





	a new beginning

**Author's Note:**

> A request for the lovely Vox. Now I love this ship and don't know what to do with myself... excellent. I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> I can't remember must about their canon interactions so I kinda treated this as a "first meeting" kind of thing. Also this piece really made me realise where the major flaws are with my writing, and that was both helpful and frustrating. Despite that, I still hope that this is okay :)
> 
> Thanks!

_ “People often regret what the don’t do more than what they do. If you’re honest, then there’s a chance that you’ll be hurt, but if you hide then it’s almost guaranteed.” _

Kyoko’s words came to Saki then, as she stood in front of the clean grave with Tohru and Arisa on her left. Six months had passed quickly, but the pain remained, and the regret that she had not been able to tell Kyoko everything. She was not her mother, or Arisa’s, but they both felt connected to her as more than just the mother of their best friend; she was someone who brought guidance into their lives and light into their hearts. And Saki had not told her the truth. It was selfish to do it now, she knew that, but she also knew that without Kyoko present she would not have the courage to find the words which she so desperately needed to say. 

“I like women… only women.” Her voice was loud in the peaceful serenity of the graveyard, almost frighteningly so, and there was a pulse in the waves of the two girls next to her which startled Saki. It settled almost instantly, and then two pairs of arms fell over her, pulling her into an embrace. 

“Thank you for telling us.” Tohru whispered, face buried in Saki’s chest.

Arisa held her from behind, with more reservation than Tohru, but then she laughed, pushing the fringe from her eyes.

“We’ll have to get you a girlfriend this year.” 

Saki did not know which of her friend’s made her cry. Perhaps it was both, a culmination of their kindness which she still not fully believe that she deserved, or perhaps it was just how surreal this situation was. For once her waves felt clear; peaceful. As the tears rolled down her cheeks, Saki sighed. 

“I wonder what Kyoko would say.” 

Tohru stood up straight, and alert, face filled with determination. 

“Mum always said that love was difficult, no matter who it was between. Her and dad had a large age gap, and many people opposed their marriage, but they were both determined to make it work because they loved each other. I think that she would see this the same way.” Tohru’s eyes fluttered closed, her hands clasped over her chest as the breeze ruffled the ribbons in her hair. “Mum valued love, because she knew how hard it could be. She would value yours too, Hana-chan, because she loved you and Uo-chan so very much.” 

If Saki was asked to choose the moment when she realised that she was in love with Tohru, then that would most probably be it. If Kyoko was her courage then Tohru was her strength; without them she would be nothing. 

They continued as they always did, with Arisa and Tohru by her side and Saki loving the latter from afar, never stating her feelings out loud but showing Tohru as often as she could, in adoring actions and good deeds. 

Saki had felt shame for many things in her life, but her love for Tohru was never one of them. It was selfish, maybe, to be more dependant on Tohru than she already was, but Tohru had accepted that part of Saki with the same grace and affection that she accepted everything else, and Saki was only human; she allowed herself to indulge whilst Tohru would let her, knowing ultimately that one day her love would be taken away. 

That day came sooner than Saki had expected. It hurt, of course, but even being hurt by Tohru was a blessing, in a way. When she had gathered Arisa and Saki together to tell them of her plans to move into the country with Kyo, all three of them wept, Saki more bitterly than her friend, and she wondered if that was when Tohru realised that Saki’s love for her went deeper than friendship. But she was Tohru; she smiled as she always did, hugged them both, and when Arisa had left to go to her job Tohru had bashfully slipped a piece of paper into Saki’s hand, pressed a tentative kiss to the woman’s cheek and then left her to question why life had to be this complicated. 

The paper contained a name and a number, nothing more or less than that, and Saki only hesitated for a moment before dialling the number given to her by the girl she loved. 

It rang three times before a shy, uncertain voice crackled over the wavering connection, 

“Hello?” 

“Akito-san? It’s Hanajima Saki. I’m a friend of Tohru’s. I don’t know if you remember me, but I was wondering if you had some free time this weekend?” 

*** * ***

When Saki arrived to their meeting place early, she was surprised to find Akito already there, sat on the wall and bouncing her leg nervously. Her eyes were trained on her hands, clutched tightly in her lap, and before Saki realised it she was already standing next to the woman. 

“Good afternoon, Akito-san.” She knew that the other woman would jump, and there was a satisfaction to Saki which she would never truly admit. Knowing that people could still fear her made her feel as though she still deserved to punish herself, reminded her that she would never truly be free of the sins of the past. 

“Please, just call me Akito, Hanajima-kun.” Akito composed herself quickly, even managed a smile as she stood. 

“Saki is fine, please.” 

It was awkward then, knowing someone whom you had barely met through the eyes of someone else, but Tohru had been honest with her words; Akito was beautiful in a way that Saki had not remembered. She was not wearing anything exceptional, simply a white button-up under a grey knitted jumper, but there was something about the way she carried herself which was understated, and yet exceptionally confident. Saki would not expect this from someone who appeared to be as shy as Akito, but she was the head of the Sohma family, and Saki could not see how a woman so small could control personalities so large. 

“Would you like to get something to eat?” Akito murmured, and Saki nodded, a smile gracing her face.

They walked in a silence which fell naturally to them, and Saki took the opportunity to explore Akito’s waves. A soft blue hue encompassed her mind, reminiscent of the ocean, or the sky just before midnight, and it was quiet, and peaceful, something Saki’s gift had never been. But Akito’s waves were like the tide lapping over Saki’s mind; serene and beautiful, they were opposite of everything which the witch had come to associate with Tohru, and yet Saki did not find it within herself to care. She was attracted to both women for opposite reasons, and that was okay. She did not need to justify it. 

Akito paused in front of a shop, staring idly into the window, and Saki was brought from her mind and focused on the woman in front of her. 

“Do you want to go inside?” Saki questioned, despite knowing the answer already. She could read Akito’s waves, knew that the other woman yearned to be inside the shop and tasting the goods it held. 

Akito nodded, not meeting Saki’s eyes, and they went inside the quaint shop. When Akito settled, her body was rigid, her waves confused. She seemed to reprimand herself over something, and then relaxed under Saki’s watchful gaze. 

The store itself was garish, and pink, and full of sweets of every description. There were only half a dozen seats, and the other customers in the shop included an elderly woman and a young child; they were more or less alone, besides the bored looking waiter who took their order. 

“I apologise if this place isn’t to your usual liking.” Akito smiled softly, pulled on one of the curls in her hair in a foreign action which reminded Saki that this was a date, and the other woman had made just as much an effort as she had. 

“How would it not be?” She smiled softly, crossing her hands at the wrists. Akito’s eyes followed the motion, a blush forming under her pale skin. She coughed then, lightly, and averted her eyes back to Saki’s face. 

“Well, you seem to like black more than pink.” 

In her Victorian inspired mourning dress, it was a reasonable assumption to make. She certainly attracted attention wherever she went, but Saki was more focused on the waves of those around her rather than their stares. She laughed, and Akito’s eyes widened. 

“I wouldn’t say so.” 

“Then why do you wear it?” Akito’s nose scrunched in her confusion, head tilting to the side, and it was the most vulnerable Saki had seen the other woman; the most adorable. The initial awkwardness had dissipated like dew on a spring morning, leaving only warmth and hope ahead. 

Saki rubbed her thumb over the matte black polish on her forefinger, and when she smiled then it was almost sad. 

“Penance. For my sins.” 

The words slipped out, heavier than she expected, but instead of causing a rift between them Saki felt as though their waves were drawing closer together, almost touching. Akito nodded slowly,

“I like the sound of that.” 

It was rare for Saki to act on instinct, but Akito’s waves were calling to her, and there was nothing which could prevent her from answering their cries. Saki’s hand darted out and clutched Akito’s, their fingers intertwining. She panicked for a moment, thinking that maybe she had moved too fast, but then Akito’s waves pulsed like a heartbeat against Saki’s consciousness, and she knew that it would be okay. That this much, at least, was okay. 

“I can paint your nails for you, next time.” 

There was a depth to Akito’s eyes, a life behind the grey which was as compelling as it was terrifying. Her eyes were what had initially intrigued Saki, but now they lost all of their focus. Now, Akito was just a woman, afraid and ashamed of her past, stumbling for meaning and a place to call her own. 

Saki recognised that sentiment, saw her former self reflected in those grey eyes, as she was before she had met Tohru and Arisa. For once, she would do something selfless and be the light to guide Akito forward into her future, like Tohru had been for her. 

“Here’s your drinks.” The waiter placed Akito’s green tea and Saki’s black coffee between them, and when his eyes fell on their still joined hands, Saki was tempted to pull away. But then she remembered Kyoko’s smile and held on tighter, unafraid to love, to exist. To be herself. 

It was a difficult journey for her, and Saki knew that Akito’ had been harder, in some ways, but they were here now, together. The outcome was all that mattered to Saki, and when Akito let go of her hand to take a sip of her tea, the warmth of her touch lingered, and their waves met briefly, but it was a start. A beginning. And after experiencing so many endings in her short and sometimes tragic life, a new start was exactly what Saki needed. 


End file.
